The Third Bead
by alljuststories
Summary: Around Annabeth's neck, there were five beads on her camp necklace. The third was a centaur in a prom dress. What happened that summer? Oneshot.


**Hello! I got this idea when I was rereading the Lightning Thief. Thanks to kel. kel.153 for helping me with the plot!**

**Just in case some nutcase thinks that I own the series (I wish), I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS. **

**R&R!**

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><p>"Listen up," Dionysus said, standing up. His eyes were unusually bright, and his usual bored tone had a touch of excitement to it. The campers, who were laughing and eating at their respective tables, fell silent.<p>

"Today is the day I have served fifty years of my punishment with you brats. Therefore, I have decided," here Dionysus paused for affect, looking around the dining pavilion, "that we shall have a celebration. A proper party to prepare myself for another fifty years of listening to your childish complaints and organizing your useless activities. Any suggestions?"

"Let's have a prom," squealed one of the Aphrodite campers.

Dionysus considered. "An excellent idea," he decided, eyes gleaming.

"No!" protested the Ares cabin. Clarisse stepped forward.

"Please, sir, why don't we have a free-for-all fight instead," she suggested.

"No, a prom is great," smirked Mr. D, looking at the indignant and horrified faces. It seemed that only the Aphrodite cabin was pleased. Exclamations and protests rang through the air.

"Enough!" Chiron finally said, and standing up as well, he gazed at the campers. "Since Mr. D seems to think the prospect of a ball very… enjoyable," he continued, glancing at Dionysus with an expression that said that he agreed with the majority of the camp, "it will be held in three days time. On a happier note, I believe it is now time for the campfire."

"Oh," Dionysus added as the campers got up, grumbling amongst themselves, "attendance is mandatory."

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><p>"No, absolutely not," said Chiron, backing away.<p>

"Come on, it'll look great!" pleaded Lavender, a member of the Aphrodite cabin.

"Th-that's preposterous!" Chiron spluttered. "You want me to go to the prom in a _dress_?"

"It goes well with your eyes," chimed in Rebecca, brandishing said dress.

"Why can't I just go in a tuxedo, like normal people nowadays do? This is intended for females. And it's _pink_, for Zeus' sake," said Chiron indignantly, backing even further towards the corner.

"Tuxedos don't have four legs," purred a short, black haired girl on the other side of Lavender.

Chiron looked around desperately for an escape. He spotted Dionysus on the opposite side of the room, reclining on a couch with a diet Coke in one hand.

"Dionysus, a little help over here," Chiron pleaded. Mr. D looked up and grinned.

"It'll look really good on you, old friend." He got up. "Enjoy yourselves, girls," he said, leaving the room.

"Hey!" Chiron called out. Dionysus ignored him.

"So are you going to do this, or not?" Lavender demanded.

"No. No way in Hades am I getting into that thing," said the centaur weakly.

"Then you leave us with no choice." Lavender grabbed the dress from Rebecca. Sword in one hand, dress in the other, and an evil grin on her face, she stepped forward.

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><p>The prom was going well. The dining pavilion was bathed in a warm, golden light, with vines curled around its large, marble columns. The stone tables were moved to the side, providing a dance floor in the middle. Bowls of punch, platters of fruit, and trays of pastries covered the gold tablecloth of a long table to the side. The Satyrs played slow music on their reed pipes. Couples were dancing, and other people busied themselves with the food.<p>

Chiron clopped in, wearing a fancy, shiny pink dress, flanked by two giggling Aphrodite girls.

There was a stunned silence as everyone turned to stare. It took a few seconds for the campers to process what they were seeing, but when they did, all of Hades broke loose.

Annabeth rolled on the floor, laughing and pounding the ground with her fists, all composure forgotten.

Luke, who was dressed in a fine and expensive-looking tuxedo that he had probably stolen, was holding a cut crystal goblet to his lips when he looked up. The punch dribbled over his crisp white shirt, but he was too busy staring to notice.

Clarisse, originally sulking in a corner in a blood red dress a bit too small for her, gripping her spear and shield tightly and glaring at anyone who dared approach, was now laughing hysterically and banging her spear against her shield.

Chiron was not amused. Red faced, he snapped at the gawkers, "What are you looking at? Go mind you own business," followed by a long stream of curses in ancient Greek.

Making his escape as soon as possible, he headed towards the Big House, followed by continuous laughter. Once inside, he burned the dress in the fireplace and vowed to always have his bow by his side.

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><p><strong>See that blue button down there? Press it! Press a button, press a button, so much fun, so much fun... <strong>


End file.
